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;) ;) ;) | The ERROR PANE Carnival booklet, St. Vincent stamps 1975 $2.50 Carnival booklet without intended 35c denomination (the four panes adding up to only $2.40 as a second 25c (for 35c) was printed by mistake). A great modern rarity in perfect unmounted mint condition. The booklet was assembled by the St. Vincent Philatelic Bureau staff (126 girls at its peak in 1978). At a very late stage of collation and early stapling it was noticed there was no 35c value. A corrected pane was rapidly sent from the printers in Holland but some error booklets had already got into the standing order supply chain. The expectation was that no more than 15 to maximum 20 error booklets were in circulation which have still not been found to this day - they are out there! £1250 |
;) | RARE LATE RE-INTRODUCTION MARSEILLES ROUTE, Ceylon postal history 1871 cover marked "per French Steamer Via Marseilles" to London with DLR 1d blue, 1/- reddish violet pmk'd A/COLOMBO/DE 19 71 duplex with clear red London Paid 15 JA 72 arrival, reverse red Galle Paid DE 20 71 transit cds. The Franco-Prussian War saw the closure of the overland Marseilles 1/1d route to the UK with mail being switched to the Brindisi route (initially 1/4d, reduced 1/- early 1870). The surface route via Southampton stayed at 9d. After the German victory in 1871 two covers are recorded with 1/1d rate by French steamer (other OC 23 71 with 5d, 8d to Aberdeen). These short-lived late uses come just before the introduction of new currency JA 1 1872. The last Pence issue sailing via Brindisi was DE 26 71 £1000 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | The MUSTIQUE ISLAND carriage labels - "No mint copies exist" This is the only known 10c yellow mint sheetlet of two labels, produced circa 1971, in fresh unmounted mint condition (small gum disturbance at lower right), accompanied by both 10c yellow label on inaugural first flight cover dated 1 SEP 1971 which terminated the private conveyance service, and subsequent Urch Harris "ballot" order form for supply of the four covers. Lord Glenconnor, Colin Tennant, owner of Mustique island conceived the idea of 10c labels to privately convey island mail, with Government consent from the Hon. Hudson Tannis, Minister for Communications & Works, by more flexible regular use of small aircraft to mainland St. Vincent circumventing the slower and less frequent by boat service offered by the Mustique Post Office. Four differing colour same design labels were printed, and stocks ultimately depleted when they were affixed, alongside St. Vincent GPO issues, to SP 1 1971 first day covers for the official inaugural flight Mustique to St. Vincent. Cancelling of the covers was firstly undertaken by Doreen Simon, the Mustique schoolmistress who doubled as the island post mistress, and secondly by the mainland Kingstown G.P.O., and the bulk were carried back to London by a member of the Mustique management team in a suitcase via Luxembourg (accompanied by Princess Margaret). The Bristol based Urch Harris company, famed for their distribution of new issues The Urch Harris catalogue listed printing quantities as 10c orange (2000), 10c blue (550), 10c yellow (250), 10c mauve (70). The Wilson figures for both blue and yellow are inaccurate and the estimated use for yellow labels used on inaugural flight covers is 234 leaving 14 labels (or 7 sheetlets) unaccounted for. No "earlier" service 10c orange labels are known on cover. Accompanied by scan of BWISC Bulletin article being the UH copied source for quantities affixed to first flight covers. £1200 |
;) | TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS on 1d POSTAGE DUE, St. Lucia stamps 1930 1d black/blue unused vertical pair (SG.D1h, Cat.£2,000), top stamp showing numbers 6536 and 6537, lower stamp showing number 6537. Two different numbers on same stamp "few and far between" per Hap Pattiz. Partly erased with corrected number, and partially showing second number on same stamp much commoner. £925 |
;) | MIDDLE QUARTERS, Jamaica postmark NEWLY DISCOVERED manuscript "Middle Quarters" on QV 2d Crown CC (SG.9a) dated Kingston A/JY 29 76 used pending the arrival of the "A.82" numeral, currently unique. The Middle Quarters office was opened during May 1876 and the A.82 (Type M) numeral stated to have been sent during 1876. The earliest confirmed date of use for A.82 is currently JU 30 1882 on QV 1d Post Card (ex Surtees) £725 |
;) ;) ;) | MUSTIQUE ISLAND stamps: The currently only known 10c blue MUSTIQUE COMPANY LIMITED mint sheetlet Produced circa 1971 in fresh unmounted mint condition, small surface abrasion lower right edge. 550 blue labels were printed and an estimated 525 blue labels used up on the inaugural flight covers which terminated the private conveyance service. Only an estimated 25 labels (or 12 sheetlets) remain unaccounted for. No earlier service 10c blue labels are known on cover. One 10c blue label is illustrated in Nicholas Courtney's book (available internet) alongside later cover which importantly shows the handwriting style of Colin Tennant matching the unique proving cover of the earlier service £850 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | MUSTIQUE ISLAND stamps: The currently only known 10c orange MUSTIQUE COMPANY LIMITED mint sheetlet Produced circa 1971 in fresh unmounted mint condition accompanied by 10c orange label on inaugural first flight cover dated 1 SEP 1971 which terminated the private conveyance service. This is the only known 10c orange mint sheetlet. 2,000 orange labels were printed. 1,931 orange labels used up on inaugural flight covers, 69 labels (or 34 sheetlets) remain unaccounted for. No earlier service 10c orange labels known on cover. Accompanied by scan of BWISC Bulletin article featuring discovery of sheet format for these labels. £625 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | PRINCESS MARGARET'S HOUSE, MUSTIQUE, a unique hand-written letter Death of its designer Oliver Messel: A rare letter hand-written by HRH Princess Margaret expressing sadness on hearing of the death of Oliver Messel who was commissioned by the Hon. Colin Tennant to design her house, Les Jolies Eaux, on Mustique written July 21 1978, she lovingly writes "I luckily have a living monument to him in the shape of my house in Mustique which he designed" £1800 |
;) | ST. VINCENT stamps: 1883 DLR QV 1d drab ovp'd "Revenue" with OVERPRINT INVERTED (PML.9), the only example showing clear date of "31/12/83", minor blemish one perf. tip. Only four examples from a single sheet of 60 stamps are currently known to have survived. The three other examples dated "15/12/83" (faults, Peter Jaffe lot 537), "15/12/83" (fine), and "29/12/83" (illus. PML handbook Page 147) £2400 |
;) | ST. CHRISTOPHER stamps: 1871 QV 1d magenta Crown CC wmk (SG.2), superb well-centred mint block of six, this possibly the Boucher (1949) multiple. £525 |